Tech Shankar: Elite Maoist IED Expert Eliminated in Andhra Pradesh Security Operation

Tech Shankar's elimination occurred just hours after Madvi Hidma's neutralization.

New Delhi:

In a significant anti-insurgency development, security forces eliminated one of India's most wanted Maoist operatives, Meturi Jokha Rao, commonly known as Tech Shankar, during an operation in the dense forests of Maredumilli, Andhra Pradesh.

Hailing from Srikakulam district, Shankar had been involved in the insurgency movement for nearly two decades. Intelligence officials widely recognized him as a top CPI (Maoist) leader with specialized expertise in improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and weapons manufacturing.

Senior intelligence officials confirmed his elimination on Wednesday during the second phase of a meticulously executed two-day operation spearheaded by the elite Greyhounds force. Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) Mahesh Chandra Laddha informed reporters in Vijayawada that seven Maoists were neutralized in Wednesday's exchange of fire, occurring approximately seven kilometers from where six others, including commander Madvi Hidma, were eliminated the previous day.

"While identification procedures are ongoing, preliminary information confirms that Meturi Jokha Rao, also known as Tech Shankar, was among those eliminated today," stated Laddha. "He had been active in the Maoist movement for approximately 20 years. Persistent security pressure had forced him to relocate frequently."

Security agencies identified Shankar as the technical wing chief of the Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC), a strategically crucial region for the organization's logistics, movement, and training infrastructure.

The National Investigation Agency had been pursuing Shankar for his alleged involvement in multiple high-profile attacks, most notably the 2014 ambush that claimed the lives of TDP MLA Kidari Sarveswara Rao, former MLA S Soma, and Border Security Force personnel. The NIA investigation remains ongoing and had previously announced a reward for information leading to his apprehension.

Shankar's expertise centered on fabricating IEDs for ambushes, assembling firearms, and establishing communication systems in challenging forest terrain. His technical knowledge was frequently deployed throughout the Andhra-Odisha border region, where Maoist units have historically conducted attacks against police forces and road-opening operations.

His elimination followed less than 24 hours after security forces neutralized Madvi Hidma, considered the Maoists' most formidable field commander. Hidma commanded the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion No 1, the organization's most powerful armed unit operating across the Dandakaranya region. Chhattisgarh Police characterized Hidma's elimination as the "final nail in the coffin" for the group's decades-long insurgency in the Bastar zone.

On Tuesday, six Maoists, including Hidma, were eliminated during an intense exchange of fire with security forces in Maredumilli mandal. This area, situated within Alluri Sitarama Raju district, features dense vegetation that has historically provided tactical advantages to Maoist operatives.

Early Wednesday morning, at approximately 7 am, security teams encountered another group of Maoists in the same general vicinity. Seven insurgents, including three women, were eliminated. Tech Shankar was among them.